Clouds spread over the sky like army rushing into battle, darkening the air and the earth.  Mighty thunder shook the grocery store, and the tiny old man looked up from his basket.  His hair was rustled from lack of care; his back, slightly humped; his wiry glasses, too low, hanging on the edge of his nose.  Each bony hand was held close to his body, trembling uncontrollably. Behind the wiry framed glasses, his grey eyes anxiously darted across the aisle like a frightened mouse.  Gathering his belongings, the old man shuffled quickly through the emptying store toward the cashier.  Turning the corner, the man bumped into a lady - he sprawled onto the floor as did his food.  The scattered items were picked up quickly, and the man scurried away before she could even say sorry.   Placing himself in the growing line at the cashier, his shaking knees held his spot while his wide eyes peered outside; the sky was dark and large.
The man peered down the stretch of bodies in front of him, ultimately making the decision to abandon his food and hurry home.  Just as he scampered out of the store, another loud, booming, overbearing thunder yelled aloud, shaking the earth and leaving the man crouched in terror.  Outside, there were few cars on the road - most people were making it home before the storm was unleashed.  The dark clouds were moving quickly across the open sky, but the ground was even darker as if the clouds had sucked the light from the Earth, leaving it cold and bare.  The rain hadn’t arrived yet, but the air felt warm and light, felt like a brimmed glass of water with one shake would overflow. 
The man did not have a car - his trembling hands and shaking knees made it almost impossible to drive.  Bustling and limping home, soon there was no one in sight.  Thunder roared in his ear, through his body, piercing his ears and drumming his head; he continued scrambling home.  The silence of the world was altered when abruptly the sky lit up in great excess and an enormous bolt of lightning erupted from the cloud.  It pierced through the darkness of the air like a knife, latched onto the earth, and struck the man. 
The light instantly surrounded the man and all his eyes could see was white and light and brilliance, and then it all was drained by immense darkness.  Slowly, the man’s eyes adjusted to the dimness of his surroundings and realized he was in a hallway with his back against a dead end.  The walls of the hallway sparked; his environment was black, yet sparks of lightning played on the walls - their laughs merely mild hums in his aging ears.  Intently, he scanned the black yet bright electric walls, not daring to touch.  The hallway was beautifully lined with dancing strands of electricity; as the man worked his way through the electric hall, it opened up into a large chamber.
The chamber was empty and wide except for the center - this point was where the sparks and strips of lightning were pulsing from.  They would leap out of the center, race along the floor, into the walls, and through the magnificent hallway.  The walls of the chamber were filled with live movement and excitement as the electricity ran throughout the room.  Curious, the man stepped toward the center of the room; with each step his pace became slower and tentative. He reached out his foot, stepping onto the center on the open chamber.
As if he had blown out a candle, the light and electricity of the room rushed from the walls and into the center point beneath his foot, leaving him in immediate blackness.  The open darkness was immediately refilled as all the lightning beneath him flooded up into the man.  Again, his vision became bright and vivid and intense and was soon snatched away by darkness once more.
The man was back on the ground, and the lightning retreated to the sky.  The man felt shocked and charged.  Staring at his hands, they steadied and stilled.  He continued walking, each step now straight, confident.  Adjusting his glasses, the man couldn’t help but smile.  The lightning’s shadow - its accompanying thunder - exploded around him, leaving the man restored and revivified, electrified and empowered, awakened and alert.
The storm arrived and the rain began to pour.